Sting steps in to save hometown swimming pool

The music legend has made a donation towards a £5 million project to reopen a pool in Tynemouth around five miles (eight kilometres) from Sting's hometown.

The outdoor pool, built in 1925, has been closed since the late 1980s, and Sting reportedly took a group of schoolchildren there during his pre-fame days as a teacher.

His contribution gave the project a major boost as it helped the campaign group achieve an official status as a charity.

A post on the Friends of Tynemouth Outdoor Pool's Facebook.com page reads, "We're announcing the beginnings of our community fundraising program, and we're immensely proud to confirm that Sting has given his support to the project with a financial contribution that propelled us towards our goal of reaching charitable status!"